The Real Witches’ Garden: Spells, Herbs, Plants and Magical Spaces Outdoors. Kate West

(name the plant) … Blessed Be.’

       Then move to the south, west and north calling upon Fire, Water and Earth, respectively. Now stand facing the north and invite the Goddess and the God, saying:

       ‘I call upon the Goddess, Mother of all living, and the God, Lord of the Land to aid me in healing this (name of plant) … Lend your strength to it and watch over it, that it might flourish in your name.’

       Wait until you can clearly visualize their presence, then say:

       ‘Blessed Be.’

      You can either use the names of the Goddess and God which you most favour working with, or you could use those with particular associations for the plant in question.

      Now take the water and draw an invoking Pentagram in it with your finger or Athame [see Terms and Definitions], then hold it up to the Goddess and the God and say:

       ‘May this water be blessed and consecrated by the Gods. May it purify and heal this plant. Blessed Be.’

       With your fingertips sprinkle a little of the water over the plant’s foliage and then pour the remainder into the soil around it. Thank the elements by going back to each quarter, starting with the east as before, and saying:

       ‘I give thanks to thee O element of Air. May your strength ever watch over this place. Blessed Be.’

       Repeat for the south, west and north. Then, facing the north, visualize the Goddess and the God and say:

       ‘I give thanks to the Goddess and the God for aiding me. May their light ever shine here and on all that dwells in this place. Blessed Be.’

      Assuming that the weather is clement, or reasonably so, leave the plant there for three days and nights before returning it to a suitable location.

      If the plant is not in a pot then you will need to take a small cutting or sprig into the Circle with you, so that it is represented there. Consecrate and bless the water as above but keep it on the Altar until your Ritual is completed. Then take the water out of the Circle to the plant and sprinkle and water as above.

      Of course, not everyone’s celebration of the Craft takes the form of active Circle work, but there are other ways we can bring nature into our magic and magic into nature.

       FOUR THE GARDEN FOR THE GODDESS AND THE GOD

      In the Craft we believe that there are many facets of the Divine. Individual Goddess and God forms have different attributes and characteristics, such as Aphrodite Goddess of Love, Mercury God of Communication, Herne Lord of the Forest, Cerridwyn Goddess of Wisdom, and many, many more. All of them, however, are linked to the cycles of life, death and rebirth, and all are in some way linked to nature and the land. Thus it is through nature, the plants, trees and herbs, etc, that we can become closer to them; closer to understanding their nature and more able to connect with them. Just as there are many Goddesses and Gods there are many ways of celebrating them within your garden – even a single plant can be your offering to the Divine. Chapter 10 lists some plants which are linked to different aspects of the Goddess and the God. But you can also dedicate a corner, or even the whole space, to a design which will help you to develop a closer relationship.

      The first step is to decide which aspects of the Divine you intend to honour in the space you have available to you. If you have been practising the Craft for a while, you will already be aware of the Goddess and God forms to which you feel closest. You may even have some idea of how you would like to do this. However, you may prefer to honour the Divine in a less specific way, simply having an area set aside for meditation and contemplation of them in general. There are many shapes which are linked to the Divine and which can be introduced into your plans, such as the spiral, the triple moon

, tall phallic shapes for the God of fertility, and even animal shapes such as the deer, hare, cat, etc.

      This part of your garden then becomes a place where not only can you contemplate your Gods, but also a place where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life; a place where you can go to meditate, or just to relax and unwind.

      PLANNING THE AREA

      In my garden I have plans to introduce a spiral walkway of flat stones into one of the beds. The spiral is an ancient symbol of the Goddess, and can be found carved into many monoliths, cave walls and even pieces of jewellery. It is felt that the spiral represents the path both inwards and outwards to enlightenment and truth. Today, you will often find spiral paths created at Pagan and Wiccan events so that we too can follow this ancient tradition. My garden walkway will serve the dual purpose of giving me easier access to the plants in this space as well as providing a contemplative walk. Designing and crafting a spiral on the ground is not easy, but perhaps the best method is to map it out on squared paper and then to place a grid (use string tied to sticks placed in the ground) over the area you intend to use, so that you can repeat your design. It is common to find at the centre of the spiral a destination, perhaps a fountain, a sundial or a flat rock for sitting on. Alternatively, you can place your most meaningful, or loved, plant at this point. Of course it is not necessary to have a spiral large enough to walk on, you could just as easily use pebbles in a small container which you can trace with your finger or eye. Around this you might like to plant one of the smaller scented herbs such as a miniature thyme or even some alpines. It is worth mentioning that, contrary to the beliefs of some, the spiral is not just a symbol of the Goddess as Crone, although that is sometimes its primary attribution. It also symbolizes the Triple Goddess and some aspects of the God in terms of the cycles of life, death and rebirth.

      I also know of someone who hopes to convert their whole lawn into a triple moon, but it is not necessary for this shape to take over your whole garden. The

can be incorporated into flower beds, or with a little ingenuity you could divide it into its three sections and, by placing one in each of three pots, have a triple moon which can be lined up. When it comes to defining shapes in the ground you can use stones or pebbles, wood shavings (although do make sure they come from a good source) or even other plants to define the edges. If you are using plants to create shapes try to select ones which do not grow rampantly; mint, for example, can take over a whole garden if left to its own devices! A better choice would be some of the low level annuals and/or bedding plants; lobelia is one which I find relatively easy to train and control.

      These days it is relatively easy to introduce animal shapes into the garden as many garden centres sell pre-formed woven wicker shapes which are intended for use in training climbing plants such as ivy, jasmine, honeysuckle, clematis and so on. These come in a variety of sizes, from those intended to support shrubs and bushes to ones small enough to be placed in a pot with the plant of your choice. Alternatively, if you are artistic, you can draw these shapes in the ground and then ‘colour in’ with the plants of your choice.

      Some Witches prefer the idea of creating a